Shelter for dirigible balloons, airships, and the like.



I 'R. ALEXANDER-KATZ. SHELTER FOR DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS, AIRSHIPS, AND THELIKE.

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1909. 1,036,532

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, Patented Aug. 27,1912.

R. ALEXANDER-KATZ.

SHELTER FORDIRIGIBLE BALLOONS, AIRSHYIPS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1909.

1,036,532. Patented Aug. 27,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RICHARD ALEXANDER-KATZ, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

SHELTER FOR DIRIGIBLE BALLOONS, AIRSHIPS, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed September 29, 1909. Serial No. 520,195.

To all whom it may concem Be it known that I, RICHARD ALEXANDER- KA'rz,a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Berlin, in the GermanEmpire, have invented a certain new and useful Shelter for DirigibleBalloons, Airships, and the Like, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a temporary balloon shelteror inclosure which can be easily erected and dismantled.

A further object is to provide a shelter for this purpose that has noactual roof, the upper part of the balloon or air-ship itself formingsuch roof, while the side Walls surround or inclose the balloon in theform of inclined tent-walls, made for example of linen, balloon materialor the like and adapted to be placed very close to said balloon.

A further object is to provide a shelter wherein the balloon is anchoredor moored to the earth within the tent-walls or may be secured to thelatter; or can be partly attached to the tent-walls in such a manner asto pull them near thereto and partly anchored to the ground within theinterior of the shelter.

A yet further object is to provide a shelter mounted on a flat stagingof woodwork, metal 'or other material which forms the floor of it and isadapted to be rotated on wheels about a point which lies considerablynearer the front than the rear of the balloon, so that wind pressurebearing against said rear part, which comprises more than half the areaof the balloon shelter, always holds the whole shelter up toward thewind, so that the front of the balloon constantly faces the directionfrom which the wind is blowing.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the annexed drawing, inwhich.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the shelter or inclosure, theupper portions of the walls being shown as lowered, in order to formclosed tents. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the shelter, showing also itsrounded front. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the shelter showing theside walls fully extended and a balloon inclosed thereby. Fig. 4 is anend-view of the shelter with the balloon therein, part of the end wallbeing shown in its normal. closed position, and the other part beingfolded back to make an opening.

X represents a base plate or floor of suitable length and width on whichis erected a plurality of inwardly inclined bars a a of iron, steel,wood or other desirable material connected together at their upper endsby a horizontal bar or series of bars a to form a U-shape frameconforming in plan to the contour of the largest horizontal section of aballoon which the edifice is intended to shelter, one end of the framebeing open throu h which the balloon may enter horizontal y, the heightof the bars a? being substantially coincident with the horizontal planeof the largest portion of the balloon when properly housed in theedifice. Within the frame formed by the upwardly and inwardly inclinedbars are additional bars a which incline upwardly and outwardly from thebase plate X upon which they are mounted so as to meet the bars a aboutmidway of their lengths where the two sets of bars are secured to eachother. The space between the lower halves of the bars a and the bars ais inclosed by the tent-like covering b the inner wall of which may beraised from the bars qand brought up against the upper halves of thebars a. In the raised position of the inner wall, the covering closesalso the space between the upper portions of the bars -a forming an inclosure extending to the horizontal bars a as in Fig. 3. In the loweredposit-ion of the inner wall, the inclosure forms in efiect an invertedU-shaped tent as shown in Fig. 2 running all the way around the marginaledge of the base plate. A suitable number of additional bars a a areprovided to complete the structure at the open end of the edifice afterthe balloon is housed therein.

d is the pivot about which the entire shelter can be rotated; in whichcase, the base plate or floor is carried on rollers, casters, orequivalents.

In Fig. 3, 0 designates the balloon, b the shelter wall, and d theaforesaid pivot.

In Fig. 4, 0 is the balloon, e the car thereof, f f the movable sectionsforming the doors, of which f is shown as folded down laterally.

When the balloon is not in the shelter, the latter forms a long, closedtent, the ground plan of which shows two parallel longitudinal tentswhich are connected at one or both ends by curved tents. The said tentscan be used by the crew or attendants or they may serve for thereception of any materials such as the envelop of the balloon, etc., andthey are so constructed that the interior walls can be drawn up; in thiscondition they close the upper portions of the shelter tent-walls andform the balloon shed or inclosure open at the top. At the rear of theshelter, the tent frame can be folded back on both' sides so that theballoon can be readily guided into said shelter, whereupon the foldedback sections can be reerected and rigidly secured.

The improved shelter, which requires no roof for the air-ship, is notintended as a permanent 'inclosure for the inflated airship, but torapidly shelter same in a shed, the construction of which consumeslittle time and involves inconsiderable cost, such a sheltersuflicing-to secure the balloon beforejhigh wind arises and to preventit from breaking away from its anchors. The rotatability of the shelterbeing of such a nature as to automatically direct the same toward thewind, increases the security and usefulness of such a device, andit hasthe further advantage that the aeronaut can forward the shelter inadvance to the place determined upon for the descent, 'so that it may beprepared there ready for his arrival. If there are several balloons of asimilar type a number of such shelters can be kept in reserve ready fordespatch at different places and be brought to the expected place ofdescent in answer to a telephonic or telegraphic message. The tentsas'such are not permanent structures, and are only tents when theballoon is out of housing edifice and the hinged flaps previouslyfastened against the upper part of the frame have been lowered inwardlyas shown in Figs. -1 and -2. The shelter further serves for keeping offcurious and unauthorized people. An ascent may b e-eflected directlyfrom the interior of the shelter, without it being necessary to move theair-ship outside of the same.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A shelter for balloons comprising a housingedifice open at the top and conforming at its upper edge approximatelyto the contour of the largest horizontal cross-section of the balloonwhich it is adapted to shelter.

2. A, shelter for balloons comprising a housing edifice open at the topand conforming approximately to the contour of the largest horizontalcross-section of the balloon which it is adapted to shelter, saidhousing having flexible walls.

3. A shelter for dirigible balloons comprising a housing edifice open atthe top and consisting of a frame and flexible inclosing Walls, theopening in the top being of approximately the same area as that of thelargest horizontal cross section of a balloon which the shelter isadapted to receive.

4. A shelter for balloons comprising a housing edifice open at the top,conforming approximately to the contour of the largest horizontalcross-section of the balloon which it is adapted to shelter, the upperportion of the housing bein foldable inwardly and downwardly to orm withthe lower portion a tent.

5. A shelter for balloons comprising a downwardly flaring housingedifice having an opening in its top conforming approximately in sizeand shape to the size and shape of a balloon at its largest horizontalcross-section, the upper portion of the housing being foldable inwardlyand downwardly to form a tent running around the base thereof.

6. A shelter for dirigible balloons comprising a rotary base having itsaxis of rotation eccentric thereto, side walls rising from the baseforming a housing edifice open at the top conforming approximately tothe contour of the largest horizontal cross-section of the balloon whichit is adapted to shelter.

7. A shelter for dirigible balloons comprising -arotary base having itsaxis of rotation eccentric thereto, side walls rising from thebaseforming a housing edifice open at the top conforming approximately tothe contourof the largest horizontal cross-section of the balloon whichit is adapted to shelter, portions of the wall farthest from the axisbeing separable to form an opening therethrough for the passage of aballoon.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo witnesses.

RICHARD ALEXANDER-KATZ.

Witnesses HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

